title: Mutations in regulators of the epigenome and their connections to global chromatin patterns in cancer.
abstract: Malignancies are characterized by extensive global reprogramming of epigenetic patterns, including gains or losses in DNA methylation and changes to histone marks. Furthermore, high-resolution genome-sequencing efforts have discovered a wealth of mutations in genes encoding epigenetic regulators that have roles as 'writers', 'readers' or 'editors' of DNA methylation and/or chromatin states. In this Review, we discuss how these mutations have the potential to deregulate hundreds of targeted genes genome wide. Elucidating these networks of epigenetic factors will provide mechanistic understanding of the interplay between genetic and epigenetic alterations, and will inform novel therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epigenomics and Cancer Risk Factors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ).
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plass
authors.forename: Stefan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: Anders M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lindroth
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bogatyrova
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lichter
mesh_terms: D002843:Chromatin; D019295:Computational Biology; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D016678:Genome; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins